了（变化）
A new situation has started
HSK 1 · 4 examples
Speed
Sentence-final 了 shows a change: things are different now from before. 下雨了 is not 'it rains' but 'it has started to rain'.
了 after a verb can also mark a completed action: 我买了三本书。
Examples
。
It has started to rain.
。
He is here (he has arrived).
。
I am hungry now.
，。
It is getting dark — let's go home.
Watch out
- Habits and routines don't take 了: 我每天七点起床。
- 别和「过」混：了是「发生了」，过是「有过这个经历」。
Words in these examples
All 11 words used in the examples above — tap any word in an example to look it up in place. Words above this level are marked new.
- 下雨xià yǔHSK 1to rain
- 了leHSK 1to finish; particle of completed action
- 他tāHSK 1other, another; he, she, it
- 来láiHSK 1come, coming; return, returning
- 我wǒHSK 1our, us, i, me, my, we
- 饿èHSK 1hungry; greedy for; hunger
- 天tiānHSK 1sky, heaven; god, celestial
- 黑hēinewblack; dark; evil, sinister; Kangxi radical 203
- 我们wǒ menHSK 1we; us; ourselves; our
- 回家huí jiāHSK 1to return home
- 吧baHSK 1emphatic final particle